How to Combine Styles and Stay on a Budget When Moving in with Your Partner
Making the decision to move in with your significant other is a big step. One aspect of this decision that can be a challenge is combining decorating styles while sticking to a budget. You both have your own unique style that you’re bringing to the table — some things will stay, some will go, but above all, you want to create a space that suits you both and feels like home. The trick is to find this balance without breaking the bank — and without hurt feelings! Figuring out how to meld your styles is the first test in your new living arrangement.
Keep reading for some wonderful ideas to help make this process easier.
Create Your New, Unified Style
Your style doesn’t have to have a name, but you probably have a good idea of what colors and textures feel like home to you. What about your significant other? Instead of rushing into melding everything into one, look at the predominant style elements you’re both drawn to and use those to create a unified style that suits you both. You can create a unified look and still incorporate elements that are important to each of you. Be honest with each other, and yourself, about what is truly sentimental and what you can let go. When you decide what you are willing to part with, sell anything that’s in good shape to help fund your new decor.
Create a Clean Slate (Within Reason)
It’s easier to find your new, unified style when you start with a clean slate. Depending on your budget, that may mean selling (or donating) old furniture and buying new pieces together. Or it may mean you keep bigger pieces selectively and add style with smaller items. Bed Bath & Beyond is a great and affordable place to get all the little things you need, whether you’re replacing your old shower curtain or upgrading your coffee maker. Save more money while you shop by taking advantage of store coupons and cashback offers.
Find Your Style Together
To make sure you’re both a part of the decorating process, find ways to get inspired together. Apartment Therapy recommends making it a decorating date. Browse decorating blogs together and pin your favorites on Pinterest, or visit a local art museum to get ideas. This step is especially important if one of you is more inclined to decorating and might otherwise take over the process, or if one of you is moving into a home the other already lives in. You don’t want to end up having one partner feeling like a permanent guest at the other’s home. Searching for ideas online also helps you find the best deals, so it’s easier to stick to your budget. And if you want to save money and make some stuff together, look for Joann promo codes so you can pick up some crafting supplies to embark on a unified creative adventure.
Of course, finding a style that suits you both often feels quite difficult, so start with color. Determining what color to paint your walls will help you come together as a couple to create a space that reflects both of your personalities. Before you start slinging paint, however, you need to figure out how to make everything balance; if the colors don’t work together, then your entire room could fall apart. If you can, try to stick with Home Advisor’s handy formula: 60 percent for your dominant color, 30 percent for your secondary, and 10 percent for accents.
Make Affordable Upgrades
When you’re ready to invest in some new items together, shop wisely so you get the most decor bang for your buck. Throughout your home, textiles are the easiest way to add softness that translates into a cozy, homey feel. Area rugs, curtains, blankets and throw pillows are all affordable items that deliver immediate style, and sites like Society 6 can help you step up your decorating edge through regular sales. Along with new textiles, small updates to old items can make them feel brand new (and suit your new couple style). Business Insider recommends simple upgrades like new lamp shades and decorative hardware for furniture. Check out retailers like Knobs4Less to find great hardware deals at super low prices.
A lot of people focus their decorating efforts on the spaces that visitors can see, but don’t overlook your new shared bedroom. The same rule with textiles applies here, and buying new bedding is a simple and affordable way to transform the entire feel of the room. You want to consider bedroom lighting too. Find some sconces or matching lamps for the bedside tables so you can have soft, low light when reading at night.
Overall, don’t let budget and the newness of moving in together overshadow this big change. You’re joining lives, and your home is where that plays out on a daily basis. This new chapter is a joy, so have fun with decorating and your home will reflect that feeling.
Contributed by Natalie Jones, Photo credit: Pexels
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